July 12, 2022
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s top diplomat, said last week that Moscow is willing to discuss the safe export of grain with Ukraine and Turkey, but said Kyiv needs to make sure the ports are no longer blocked with mines.
Lavrov, who made the comment while attending the G20 in Bali, did not give a clear date as to when these negotiations could take place but said Moscow is “always ready” to negotiate.
Western countries, led by the U.S., have accused Moscow of enforcing a blockade at Ukrainian ports. The Wall Street Journal reported that Turkey and the UN have taken the lead in these negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that there is about 22 million tons of grain that Russia has prevented from being exported. Ukraine is referred to as Europe’s “breadbasket.”
The Associated Press, citing the Ukrainian Grain Association, reported that the country could export up to 7 million tons of grain per month, but only shipped 2.2 million tons in June. The shipments are divided up about evenly between Europe, North Africa, Asia. The UN said Kyiv accounted for 10 percent of global wheat exports in 2021.
The situation has led to a surge in food prices and a global food crisis. The New York Times reported that the price of bread is up 35 percent in Yemen, and cooking oil in Kenya has become a rare commodity.
President Joe Biden has said that he is working with Ukrainian officials to build temporary silos on the borders of Ukraine and Poland to get the grain “out onto the market to help bring down food prices.”
“But it’s taking time,” he said.
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